When people are trying to lose weight, one of their primary motivations is typically to slim their waist. However, just doing endless crunches will not actually have much of an effect on the size of a person’s stomach, and starving yourself instead of working out is not effective either (not to mention unhealthy and dangerous). For those trying to get a tinier waistline, the most effective way to lose inches off the stomach is to eat healthy while simulatenously working out all of the abdominal muscles with waist slimming exercises and tips.

How the Abdominal Muscles Work

Though most people just think about the abs that are visible when a person has a six pack, there are actually four different sets of abdominal muscles that work together to support your stomach and back. The rectus abdominis muscles are two sheets of muscle that run from the pelvis to the ribs, and these muscles help you bend forward. Both the internal and external obliques run diagonally along your sides, starting at the outer edge of your ribs and wrapping inwards towards the hips. Below both the rectus abdominis and the abdominal obliques is the transverse abdominis, which wraps around the waist like a corset. This muscle supports the spine, but is also the muscle mostly responsible for holding the torso tightly together. In order to get a slim waist, it is necessary to actually work out all four of these muscle sets instead of just focusing on building the rectus abdominis muscles.

How To Slim Your Waist

Most people who work out in the gym just try to do crunches and bicycle crunches to work their abdomen muscles. While you definitely feel a burn when you do these exercises, they do not actually do that much to slim the waist. Instead, you want to try doing exercises that activate more than one group of abdominal muscles at the same time. Exercises that focus on slimming the waist are better because they mimic the natural movements of the body and exercises that tighten the transverse abdominis.

For maximum stomach slimming, eating at a calorie deficit is also helpful because it allows the body to burn any fat that has built up around the waist. However, even if you are already thin, your waist will remain larger than it should be if you have weak abdominal muscles. Therefore, you should consider trying the following exercises, which are specifically designed to work the muscles that slim the waist.

The Best Exercises to Trim Your Tummy

1. The Plank

This exercise has been gaining popularity in the bodybuilding community in the last few years because it is so incredibly effective at trimming your stomach. It works by activating all of the muscles of the abs while you are working to hold your body upright, and as a bonus, it also works out the glutes and shoulder muscles. To do the plank properly, start in a kneeling position with your elbows and forearms on the ground. Extend your legs one at a time so that you are putting all of your weight on your toes and arms while keeping your body as straight as possible. Be sure to tense your glutes and ab muscles while doing the plank for maximum benefit, and try to avoid letting your hips raise above your shoulders or sag towards the ground. Try to hold it for as long as possible.

2. Burpees

This exercise really gets your heart pumping while activating the rectus abdominis and the transverse abdominis. Start by crouching on your toes with your palms on the ground. In one swift motion, extend both your legs at the same time so that all of your weight is on your palms and toes while your body is entirely straight. Then quickly hop back up to the starting position and stand up straight with your hands in the air. Repeat at least five times more. If you are interested in exercising more muscles at once, you can also include a quick push up between the plank position and returning to the crouching position.

3. Vacuum Exercise

This exercise is a little unusual because it does not include making any significant physical movements. However, it is a great stomach slimming exercise because it focuses entirely on the transverse abdominis, which is the muscle that pulls the waist inwards. You cannot do regular resistance training to work this muscle deep within the body, but it is still possible to exercise it by contracting it. Start by kneeling on all fours on the flour. Exhale all of your breath, which forcefully contracts the abs, and then pull your belly button towards your spine. Hold it for at least ten seconds, then relax and take a deep breath. After a quick rest, you can repeat this exercise a few more times. While doing it, make sure that you do not hold your breath for too long because that can result in dizziness or imbalances.

4. Leg Raises

Leg raises are a great way to work both the rectus abdominis and the transverse abdominis, without risking injury to your back. They primarily focus on the lower abdominals, tightening this tricky spot. Begin this exercise by lying flat on your back on the floor with your arms resting on the ground next to you. While keeping your back, bottom, arms, and head in contact with the floor, raise your legs to a 90 degree position. Be sure to keep your stomach contracted while raising your legs, so you activate the transverse abdominis. Keep your legs raised for ten seconds, and then lower them again. Do this at least 10 times.

For maximum waist slimming effects, try to incorporate all of these exercises into your weekly routine. If you cannot do them for the recommended amount of time at first, do not despair. With consistent exercise, you will be able to strengthen your abdominal muscles and trim your waist.

Everyone has their favorite foods that we all love to eat. What if you found a favorite food that could actually help you lose weight. You will not see yourself to start shred pounds quickly without doing anything. You will have to also workout for a change to happen. These foods are just a smarter choice to help get your body into shape. Eat right and exercise and you will get the results you want.

Potatoes

When you think of potatoes you usually think of them loaded with cheese, butter, bacon bits and sour cream. You should be thinking of just plain potatoes or even better, just the skin. The actual potato is loaded with carbs that may not be too healthy but the skin on the other hand, is filled with fiber and starch. If you are not a fan of potatoes, that’s okay just try eating the skin. If you watch what you eat on a daily basis and maybe try the nonfat sour cream you may be able to sneak a little onto your potato. You may even want to try sweet potatoes, they are also great for you with a little more flavor!

Meat

Meat is something you should have in your everyday diet. It is a great source of protein. Filet is a great cut of meat with the nutrients and necessary proteins that you need. It still has an amazing flavor without all the fat. Meat will help you build muscle and help keep you feeling full. The plus side of feeling full and satisfied with your meals is that you will not be running for the snack cabinet. Just because meat is a good source of protein does not mean you should be consuming huge amounts of it either. Keep your portions smaller rather than bigger to avoid overeating.

Soup

Any light soup is good for you to have for lunch but try to limit yourself to only broth based soup. Add veggies and try to maybe have a meat to add some protein such as chicken. Try to add things that will only make your selection healthy. Another great thing about soup is that you can make a huge thing of it all in one sitting and then freeze it all for other days you may want it.

Salmon

Did you know that salon can reduce the inflammation in your body? This happens because salmon is filled with omega-3. This will help you in the long run because of reducing inflammation, your muscles will be able to recover faster meaning that you build muscle more easily and your metabolism increases. Salmon is something that is easy to make and you can even season it with something like lemon juice or lemon pepper. If you start to add other non healthy things, there will be no point to eating salmon in the first place.

Oatmeal

Eating oatmeal every morning can be very good for you and you can add fresh fruit to give it a better taste. Oatmeal may be thick, but it is not terribly bad for you. Oats are filled with a bunch of great minerals and can be a daily source of grains. There is also a great source of fiber in oatmeal.

A great thing about oatmeal is that you will feel full for a longer time and will not have to snack throughout the day to eliminate feeling hunger. Now oatmeal is may have a lot of carbs, but with it making you more full for a longer time you do not have to really worry about that much. Just watch the amount of carbs you take in the rest of the day and maybe try counting your calories.

Berries

Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries. You name it and it’s a great snack to have when you are feeling hungry before lunch. During the summer, berries are a great way to refresh your pallet and satisfy your taste buds. Berries are beneficial to your health because the antioxidant anthocyanin, is found in berries and can alter gene activity in fat cells. This makes it harder to gain weight. Berries are something great that you can put with your other foods or eat alone.

Apples

Apples are filled with pectin. This is what makes you feel full when you eat certain foods. An apple is a great snack food or even breakfast. Since the apple makes you feel full if you eat it for a snack, whatever you are eating for dinner you may not want to eat so much and it can eliminate overeating and suppress your appetite. Add a few apples to your oatmeal and you will be skipping right over your lunch. Apples can be a quick grab and go type of snack!

Dark Chocolate

Did you think chocolate would be one of the foods listed on here? I did not think so either until I did a little more researching. Like most foods, moderation is the key to a healthy balance. But keep in mind it will not help you have a balanced healthy diet if you if you start eating it in large amounts. Keep it to small one inch squares a few times each day. Eating small amounts of dark chocolate will keep you from craving other desserts later. Keep a little stash in your kitchen but you are going to have to control yourself. This will help you in the long run from digging into all the other possible sweets you could get into.

Green Tea

Green tea is a way for you to boost your metabolism. It is great to keep yourself hydrated and is a great alternative to drinking water. Green tea is also fat burning so it seems to help you lose most of the weight in the stomach area. So put down your sodas and put green tea in your hand. You can even get green tea lattes at your local cafe.

Almonds

Running late but need a snack? Take almonds! Something so easy to take and go. They even make those cute little snack packs of almonds which is just the right amount. Almonds are convenient to eat anywhere too. Snacking on these throughout the day will help you feel satisfied until your next meal. You get monounsaturated fat from the almonds. Along with that you get a good source of protein. The perfect size for this snack would be about your palm filled with almonds, to give you an idea on about how many you should be eating for your snack.

Now go to your grocery store and fill your cart with healthy choices. Do not forget that just eating these foods will not help you lose weight entirely. You can not just sit on the couch eating these foods and expect results. Also a little thing you can try is a waist trimmer belt for when you workout. What it does is it traps in the heat when your workout which then leads to more sweating and shredding pounds.

Here is a video for you to start shredding those pounds at home! You do not need a gym to get that body and lose the weight you want! Sometimes I personally just like to workout in my living room instead of going to the gym just because I like being able to look as stupid as I want with no one else watching.

Posted on 24 March 2013

Very helpful! In fact, some might say you can’t lose weight if you’re not exercising. And while you can eat less and lose weight, you’re going to take the chance of burning muscle as well. Being the right weight is nice and all, but most people want to get in shape so they have a body they can proudly show to others. This is where exercise is extremely helpful for losing weight the right way.

Tips for Exercising to Lose Weight

Here are some helpful tips you can put into practice to help you lose more weight with exercise.

Daily Workouts – You are going to want to have at least an hour of moderate exercise once per day. If you have a more vigorous workout, you may not have to use a full hour, but most beginners should be working out at least an hour. By working a workout into your daily routine, you can train yourself to accept exercise as part of your day.

Exercise Smarter – Something else you can do is to be smarter about the exercises you do each day. By studying what exercises work what part of the body, you can easily come up with a customized workout that will give you results where you want them. A little bit of work researching will go a long way in helping you come up with a workout regime that’s best for you and your goals.

Switch It Up – No one likes monotony. This is true of exercise. If you are doing the same workout each and every day, you can quickly become bored. Additionally, you may not end up working all the muscle groups you need to in order to see the best results. When you can see results quickly, you are going to be more motivated to keep going. This can help you reach your target weight.

Keep Track – If you write down your weight each day – and even take a picture on your phone – over the course of a week you will be able to see the changes to your body. This can go a long way in motivating you to keep working out and pushing yourself harder. Quite a few mobile apps exist to help you with this task, allowing you to chart your results over time.

If you are serious about losing weight, you need to seriously think about making exercise part of your daily life. Fortunately, you do not need to buy a lot of expensive equipment or even join a gym. As long as you have a little space in your house or outside, you are going to be able to come up with a workout plan that will help you lose weight safely and quickly. Exercise is not fun by any means, but it is one of the surest ways to reach all your fitness goals.